Last month, Massachusetts became one of the few states to legalize abortion care throughout pregnancy. Only nine other states and Washington, D.C. allow abortion care after 24 weeks gestation, and not all of them have all-trimester clinics. There are only 10 clinics in the entire country that provide some degree of later abortion care, concentrated largely in the DC area. Because of the lack of all-trimester clinics and the narrow legal exceptions for later care, even states with seemingly protective abortion laws may ultimately see residents leave the state to seek later care elsewhere.

One patient, for example, was forced to travel to Washington, D.C. from Massachusetts in order to access care after hearing her son had suffered a stroke in utero. Of the 10 clinics that offer later-abortion care, even fewer offer care further into the third trimester.

With three all-trimester clinics in the DC-metropolitan area, the Mid-Atlantic has seen a large influx of abortion seekers needing care later in pregnancy. This uptick in later care can be largely attributed to the abortion bans and restrictions in 41 states across the country that have led to delayed care for patients. People seeking care earlier in pregnancy are being barred locally because of legal restrictions, cost and insurance concerns, or because there’s low availability in existing closer clinics. In an average week, the DC Abortion Fund has been funding care for at least 20 people past 28 weeks gestation. The costs for abortion care later in pregnancy are also substantially greater – with procedures costing tens of thousands of dollars. The reality is that support hubs like the DC area have been filling a vast majority of these access gaps.

Pregnant people need abortion care later in pregnancy for the same reasons they might need it earlier in their pregnancy – whether it’s a medical, financial, or personal reasons. But, lack of later abortion care options have placed unique burdens on abortion seekers, as well as clinics. For much of the northeast and DC’s neighboring southern states, abortion seekers have been forced to take days off work to travel out-of-state to get care, and later abortion care most often takes place over multiple days which might further exacerbate access barriers. For those seeking care later in pregnancy, arbitrary gestational limits — like those previously in place in Massachusetts — mean that a difference of a few days could determine whether someone could access in-state care.

As of August 10, Massachusetts’ new law has tremendous implications on the abortion landscape nationwide. Assuming Massachusetts clinics opt to expand their later care options, MA residents and out-of-state patients alike will benefit. In 2025, 150 people traveled from Florida to Massachusetts for an abortion – which may be one of the most accessible options for those in the south who face longer clinic wait times in the DC area due to large patient load. Patients would be able to rely on an additional hub for care later in pregnancy, and the load on already-strained clinics and support networks in the DC area would be reduced.

With more patients seeking care later in pregnancy, now is the time for protective states to take action to expand care options. This ensures that clinics can continue to operate, care can continue to be funded, and that abortion seekers aren’t burdened any more than they are already when accessing later care.

It’s critical we keep later care in the conversation. Abortion seekers needing later care face an added layer of stigma, let alone financial and logistical barriers. Know how to talk about and support later care, and celebrate policy wins like that in Massachusetts. These steps toward expanding access will sustain our abortion support networks nationwide – and offer more safe and supportive access points for abortion seekers everywhere.